Buzz Bissinger Puts His ‘Addiction’ Into Storage

To sports fans, author Buzz Bissinger is best known for having written the books “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team and a Dream”, depicting life in high school football-crazed Texas town, and “Three Nights in August”, an analysis of a weekend baseball series through the eyes of Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa. In the world of pop culture however, Mr. Bissinger’s most recent claim to fame has nothing to do with his writing and everything to do with his confessed addiction to high-end men’s fashions.

Mr. Bissinger decided he might as well face it, he’s addicted to clothes. He admitted as much in a GQ column he penned where he detailed the extent of his shopping addiction. He confessed to spending nearly $600,000 on clothes from brands like Gucci and Prada in the years 2010-12.

Now, in an attempt to rehabilitate himself, Bissinger has moved much of his wardrobe out of his home and into a storage unit. He told Vanity Fair Magazine, “I really do have a lot of clothing, if anyone wants in. It’s sitting in a storage locker. I pay $244 a month for an enormous storage locker. It looks like the mob just stole a truck from Gucci and Ferragamo and Prada. It’s gorgeous. It’s climate-controlled. If people are nice to me in the media, I may give them a leather jacket. I’ve got a lot of them. Like 80.”

Considering the price tag on his clothing of choice, renting a climate-controlled storage unit was definitely the way for Bissinger to go. Climate-controlled storage eliminates the extreme levels of temperature and humidity which can destroy delicate materials like silk, leather and suede.

If you’re storing clothing, ensure each item is clean and completely dry before it goes in the storage unit. Dirt, dust and grime left on items will set in over time and could attract pests. Items stored damp are more prone to molding and mildewing.

As much as possible, try to store clothing lying out flat or rolled in acid-free tissue or clean, white muslin. Folds in cloths can accelerate wear, so if your stored items are folded, be sure to revisit them every couple of months to check for any wear and tear. Any clothing being stored hanging should be well padded with acid-free tissue to ensure it retains its shape.

Any and all stored clothing should be kept out of direct, or any, light. Light accelerates fading and can attract insects (most notably the enemy of all stored clothing, the moth).

It’s unlikely any of us will ever be able to relate in any way to just how much Buzz Bissinger has spent on his clothing and shopping addiction, but most of us can relate to the problem of having more clothing in our homes than can be conveniently and efficiently stored. Following his lead and renting a climate-controlled storage unit is the first step toward freeing up space in your closets at home without giving up on any of your fashions, because you never know when something will come back in style.

Digital Marketing Assistant at StorageMart, holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Lincoln University. Strongly believes you should never leave home without a book, and admits to having a coffee addiction.